Gyokuro are the noblest teas in Japan, the name meaning drop of jade dew. For this tea, only leaves of overshadowed tea bushes are used. By casting a shadow on the bushes, their growth slows down. This results in more amino acids and chlorophyll in the leaves and consequently a more pronounced umami and sweet taste, less catechins and therefore less bitter substances. To produce Gyokuro, the tea bushes are overshadowed for twenty-one days before the plucking. Gyokuro teas are very dense and aromatic.